Steven Spielberg has directed many great movies, but he himself doesn’t like one spin-off of his Indiana Jones series. However, Quentin Tarantino has kind words for the film.
Throughout his career, Steven Spielberg has directed numerous films that are now classics. These include E.T., Jaws, or Schindler’s List, which was even made in the same year as Jurassic Park.
Indiana Jones is another well-known series by Spielberg. However, the director is not satisfied with all installments. Particularly the second film has been criticized by Spielberg himself in hindsight (via collider.com). The reason for this was the dark tone of Temple of Doom, as well as the questionable depiction of the Indian population from today’s perspective.
Another director, however, admires Spielberg for his work on Indiana Jones 2. Quentin Tarantino is known for publicly expressing his opinions about films. He often contradicts the general consensus – his taste is indeed unique.
What he says about Indiana Jones 2 perfectly aligns with Tarantino and his cinematic preferences.
“The film is damn hard-hitting”
What does Tarantino say about Indy 2? In the podcast Reel Blend, the director talked about Spielberg’s work and which of his films are the best. Number 1 is Jaws, but already in second place for Tarantino is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
This is surprising because this installment is often considered the weakest of the original trilogy. On Rotten Tomatoes, fans rate it at 82%, compared to 96% for the first part and 94% for the third part. Temple of Doom is significantly darker than the other films, tougher, and also more brutal. It is hardly suitable for children. Overall, the film feels less playful. Find out here where it ranks on MeinMMO.
Tarantino justifies his opinion mainly with the film’s toughness:
“Spielberg shot Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind back-to-back. He thinks now he can do no wrong, pushes the boundaries and creates PG-13! (The rating in the USA corresponds approximately to the USK rating of 12 years in Germany, editor’s note). The film is damn hard-hitting.
Quentin Tarantino via Reel Blend
For clarification: In fact, Indiana Jones 2 was so brutal that the MPAA, which assigns age ratings to films in the USA, introduced a new category. Parents are advised in the case of PG-13 not to show the film to children under 13 years old.
For Tarantino, it is a kind of knightly accolade when a film leads to such a change. And it is no secret that the director of Pulp Fiction or Inglourious Basterds likes things to be a bit darker and tougher. On MeinMMO you can find a suitable list: All 9 films by Quentin Tarantino ranked – Which is the best?
